Machine for washing or sterilizing bottles.



No. 697,20l. Patented Apr. 8, I902.

w. J. CUNNINGHAM.

MACHINE FOR WASHING 0B STERILIZING.BOTTLES.

eApplimLtion filed June 8, 1901.)

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Patented Apr. 8, I902.

' W J. CUNNINGHAM. MACHINE FOR WASHING OR STEBILIZING BOTTLES.

, (Application filed Jung 8, 1901.)

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(No Model.)

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w. J. cuuumamm. MACHINE FOR WASHING 0R STEBILI-ZING BOTTLES (Application flld June 5, 1901.)

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(No Model.)

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"WILLIAM J. CUNNINGHAM, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHlNE FOR WASHING OR STERILIZING BOTTLES.

s'rnorrroarrou forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,201, dated April 8, 1902.

Application filed June 8, 1901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM J. CUNNING- HAM, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Washing or sterilizing Bottles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in an improvement in a machine for washing or sterilizing bottles; and it consists in subjecting the bottle to the action of various cleansing, sterilizing, or other solutions in regular succession.

It further consists of an endless belt or conveyer having means thereon for sustaining the bottle.

It further consists of the novel holder for the said bottle and means for opening and closing the same.

It further consists of novel details of construction, all as will be hereinafter set forth.

Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional view of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a plan view thereof, showing the hood employed in dotted line. Fig. 3 represents a sectional view on line m 00, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a side elevation of a portion of the machine, showing a portion of the device for opening the bottle-holder. Fig. 5 represents a perspective view of the bottleholder on an enlarged scale. Fig. 6 represents a side elevation of a bottle-holder, showing the bottle in position. Fig. 7 represents a perspective view of a machine, showing a slightly-difierent manner of mounting the conveyer.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a bottle washing or sterilizing machine consist' ing of a tank 2, which in the present instance is divided into compartments 3, 4, and 5, which are adapted to contain suitable cleansing solutions or material. For example, in compartment 3 I will use potash, in compartment 4 steam, and in compartment 5 water, the compartment 3 being provided with an outlet 6, which is closed by a pipe 7, the up per end of which is opened in order to prevent an overflow, while the compartment 4 is provided with a steam-inlet S and the com- Serial No. 63,733. (No model.)

vided with a plurality of wheels or pulleys 21, which are situated at proper angles. Suitably mounted upon the walls of the tank 2 are the wheels or pulleys 22, 23, and 24.'

25 designates a table or shelf, suitably supported on which is the guide 26, having the inclined ends 27 and 28, said table 25 carrying a roller 29.

3O designates a hood which is suitably supported and covers the compartment 4 and having the sides which extend into the compartments 3 and 5, as best seen in Fig. 1, a suitable space being left between the said sides and the walls 31 and 32, which form the compartments. WVithin said hood is a shaft 33, which is suitably journalcd in standards 34, said shaft having thereon the pulleys or wheels 35 and 36 and also the wheels 37.

38 designates an endless chain or conveyor, which in the present instance is formed of suitable links and is adapted to pass, for example, around the pulley 22 and around the pulleys 21, mounted on the shafts 17, 18, 19, and 20 in the compartment 3. When it reaches the last of these pulleys, it passes up into the hood 30 over the pulley 35 and then down into the compartment 4, around the pulleys 21 on the shafts and up over the pulleys 37 until it reaches the pulley 36, when it will pass down into compartment 5 and around the pulleys 21 on the shafts until it reaches the pulley 23, when the chain will be outside of the tank, as seen in the right of Fig. 2. It then passes around pulley 29 back to 22.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6, I will explain the construction of the bottle-holder, it being seen that each of the links of the chain is provided with one holder for the reception of a bottle. 39 designates one of the links, to which is secured a block 40, which carries the springs 41 and 42, the normal position of which is best seen in Fig. 6. It will be necessary in order to insert or remove a bottle therefrom to have the said springs open in the direction indicated by the arrows, said springs being secured to the block 40 by the plates 43 and 44 and bolted thereto.

The operation is as follows: Suitable cle ansing materials are placed in the compartments and power is applied to the machine, which causes the various shafts to revolve. This carries with it the endless chain, which takes the course above described, carrying with it the bottle-holder, only a few of which I have indicated in the drawings in order not to overcrowd the same. When thebottle-holders reach the inclined face 27 of the guide 26, the point of said face passes between the ends of the springs 41 and 42, and in the continued forward movement of the chain the ends of the springs will reach the widened portion of the guide and assume the position seen in the left of Fig. 3, so that if a bottle can be carried by said holder the same could be easily removed by the operator and another bottle inserted, the springs resuming their novel position and grasping the bottle when the inclined face 28 of the guide is reached. The bottle will now be carried by the chain or conveyer, and under the circumstances above described will be first thoroughly washed by the potash, then by the steam, and lastly by the water. It will be seen that by this means a very large number of bottles can be washed or sterilized or both washed and sterilized in a quick and thorough manner. By reason of the sides of the hood extending into the compartments 3 and 5 and when the same are filled with a liquid to a point above the lower edge of said sides the same will form a steam-trap, but will permit the bottle to pass from one compartment to the other and to be subjected to the various cleansing agents. It will also be evident that the guide 26 can be placed at any desired distance or point from the rest of the machine, it only being necessary to extend the chain thereto.

In Fig.7Ihave shown a construction wherein I employ a number of suitable shafts suitably mounted, the same carrying sprocketwheels and around which a chain is adapted to pass in a difierent manner from that shown in Figs. l and 2, as in this case I have caused the chain to travel a different direction through the tank instead of sidewise or from side to side and passing lengthwise, and employ the same bottle-holders and means for opening and closing the same. In this figure the movement of the chain from the sprocketwheel 45, for example, moves in the direction of the arrow and will pass down through the sprocket 46, then around the sprocket 47, up over sprocket 48, around sprocket 49, down and around sprocket 50, around sprocket 51, and up over sprocket 52, it then passing out of the compartment or tank and over the sprocket 53, whence it passes directly to the opposite end of thetank and around sprocket 54, and thence around sprocket 55, down and around sprocket 56, around sprocket 57, over sprocket 58, around sprocket 59, and down and around sprocket 60, over sprocket 61, and up to sprocket 62, whence it will pass to the opposite end of the tank back of the sprocket 45. The operation of this construction will be the same as previously described, it being of course evident that in both instances it can be divided into compartments or not, as desired.

It will be apparent that various changes may be made by those skilled in the art which will come within the scope of my invention, and I do not therefore desire to be limited in every instance to the exact construction herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and dcsi re to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a machine of the character named, a tank adapted to contain a suitable material for cleansing or sterilizing, or both cleansing and sterilizing, and means for causing a bottle to traverse said tank up and downand from side to side through said material.

2. In a machine of the character named, a tank adapted to contain suitable cleansingor sterilizing material, an endless chain or conveyer passing through said tank up and down and transversely thereof and means for bolding a bottle on said conveyer.

3. In a machine of the character named, a tank, a plurality of compartments therein adapted to contain cleansing or sterilizing material, an endless chain or conveyer passing from one compartment to the other, devices for holding a bottle carried by said conveyer, and means for opening and closing said devices for the insertion and removal of the bottle.

4. In a machine of the character named, a tank, a plurality of compartments therein adapted to contain cleansing or sterilizing material, pulleys suitably supported in said com partment, and an endless chain or conveyer around said pulleys and passing from one compartment to the other and adapted to carry bottles thereon.

5. In a machine of the character named, a tank adapted to contain suitable cleansing or sterilizing material, shafts journaled in said tank, pulleys on said shafts, an endless chain or conveyer adapted to pass around said pul leys, agitators in said tank, and means for operating said agitators.

6. In a machine of the character named, an endless chain or conveyer in combination with a bottle-holder on said chain, consisting of spring-arms suitably supported and a guide which passes between said springarms to open the same.

7. In a machine of the character named, a tank, compartments therein, a hood over one of said compartments, shafts in said compartments, carrying pulleys, an endless belt or conveyer adapted to pass around said pul-.

. passes between said spring-arms to open the same.

9. In a machine of the character named, a tank, adapted to contain a suitable cleansing or sterilizing material, and a hood over said tank adapted to prevent the escape of said material, and means for causing a bottle to traverse said tank in said material.

10. In a machine of the character named, a tank, compartments therein, a hood for one of said compartments arranged to form in the walls thereof a steam-trap, and permitting the entrance of a bottle into said hood and compartment.

11. In a machine of the character named, a tank adapted to contain suitable cleansing or sterilizing material, pulleys in said tank and endless chain or conveyer adapted to pass around said pulleys, agitators in said tank and means for operating said agitators.

12. In a machine of the character named, a plurality of tanks, 2. steam-trap for one of said tanks, and an endless chain or conveyer passing through said tanks and said steamtrap.

18. In a machine of the character named, a plurality of tanks adapted to contain suitable cleansing or sterilizing material, a hood over one of said tanks adapted to form a steamtrap, and means for causing a bottle to pass from one tank to the other and into said tank beneath the hood.

14.. In a machine of the character named, a plurality of tanks adapted to contain suitable cleansing or sterilizing material, an endless chain or conveyer adapted to pass from one tank to the other through said material, de- Vices for holding a bottle carried by said conveyer, and means for opening and closing devices for the insertion and removal of the bottles.

i 15. In a machine of the character named, a plurality of tanks, adapted to contain suitable cleansing or sterilizing material, an endless WILLIAM J. CUNNINGHAM.

Witnesses:

O. D. MCVAY, HELEN LANE. 

